Cloth-folding machine



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. T. LOGKWOOD 8t S. K. WHITE. CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 482,373. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

THE News FEYERS, w, muwmmu, msumunm, u. c.

(No Model.) e Sheets-Sheet 2. S. T.- LOGKWOOD 8; S. K; WHITE. GLOTH FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Sept; 13, 1892.

mi NORRIS PETER: co., mum-mum, wumuu-ruN, n. n,

(No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 3, S. T. LOGKWOOD & S. K. WHITE.

CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 482,373. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

(No Model.) 7 6 Sheets -Sheet 4.

S. T. LOGKWOOD & S. K.. WHITE. CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 482,373. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

PM KW- (No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

s. T. LOOKWOOD & s. K. WHITE. CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE.

N0. 4823 1 73. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

B F 7 is if i 2 E17 0 if r. i U I g 3 I N l u F k F J/ n W,

(No Model.) Q 6 Shets-Sheet 6. S. T. LOGKWOOD 8: S. K. WHITE. GLOTH FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 482,373. Patented Sept. 1-3, 1892..

m: wows vc'rsns 420., wormuwm, wnsummau, n. c.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL T. LOOKWOOD AND SAMUEL K. WVI-IITE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOTH-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.482,373, dated September 13, 1892.

Application filed January 19, 1889. Serial No. 296,826. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL T. LOOKWOOD and SAMUEL K. WHITE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Folding Machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to cloth-foldin g machines, and embraces improvements not only in the cloth-folding devices proper, but also in devices for cutting the folded cloth, as is desirable in preparing the same for making bags, and for creasing or folding the cut edges to facilitate the subsequent sewing of the bags, as will be made hereinafter more fully to appear.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the same. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the said machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the same, taken upon the section-line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same, taken upon line i 4 of Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a section taken upon line 5 5 of. Fig.1. Fig.6 is a section taken upon line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged broken plan of the gripping and cutting devices. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section, partly in elevation, of the parts of the cutting-off devices adjacent to the side frameplates of the machine. 9 is a broken plan of certain gripping devices and parts for actuating the same. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the cutting-off devices and illustrates a changed position of the parts. Fig. 11 is a broken section, partly in elevation, taken upon line ll 11 of Fig. 3. Fig. 12 illustrates a modified form of cutting-roller. Fig. 13 is an enlarged sectional view showing one of the yielding spring connections between the folding-bar and the pitmen for actuating the same. Fig. 14 is a vertical section of a portion of the machine on the line 14c 14 of Fig.2 and on an enlarged scale.

. As shown in the drawings, the main part of the frame of the machine consists of two side plates A A, which are connected by crossgirts a a a.

The operative parts of the machine embrace generally a reciprocating cloth-carrying device, which carries the cloth back and forth in the act of folding,a gripping device adapted to engage and hold the cloth at one limit of the movement of the folding device, and a combined gripping and cutting-off device adapted for severing the cloth at the opposite limit of the movement of the carrying device and arranged to grip and hold the cut end of the cloth until a new fold is made.

For convenience the gripping device connected with the cutting-off device is herein denominated the rear gripping device and the opposite one the front gripping device. The gripping devices are both mounted in frames which are separate from the main frame of the machine and adapted to slide thereon horizontally in such manner that the two gripping devices may be moved bodily toward and from each other, as necessary for making folds of different lengths or bags of different sizes, provision being made for changing the throw of the reciprocating clothcarrying device to correspond with the distance apart of the gripping devices.

In the upper part of the frame-plates A A are provided parallelhorizontal guides A A, which sustain the sliding frame upon which the gripping devices are supported, and upon said side plates, at opposite sides of the machine, are located two horizontal drive-shafts B B, by means of which motion is communicated to the gripping and cutting-oil devices. Said shafts B B are provided at their rear ends with beveled gear-wheels b b, which engage similar gear-wheels (7 19 upon a transverse shaft b arranged at the rear end of the machine. v

O is the pulley-shaft of the machine, arranged parallel with the shaft b and provided with fast and loose belt-pulleys O and having a gear-wheel c, intermeshing with a gear-wheel 1) upon the shaft 11 and having, also,a gear-wheel c, which intermeshes with a large gear-wheel C the shaft C of which is located about ona level with the top of the machine-frame and which carries a crankarm 0 through the medium of which the reciprocating cloth-carrying device is actuated, as hereinbefore fullydescribed. Said carrying device comprises two end plates D D,located at opposite sides of the machine and mounted to slide horizontally in guides A A located above and parallel with the guides A A hereinbefore referred to. Said plates D' D are rigidly connected by a transverse bar D, (see Fig. 2,) which also acts to carrythe cloth in folding and forms part of the cutting-off device. Said bar D is herein denominated the folding-bar. Each of said plates D D is provided'with a vertical guide-groove d, in which are mounted vertical slide-bars D D to the lower ends of which is connected a flat horizontal folder'or carrying-blade D Said folder D is mo ved vertically during the horizontal movement of the plates D D by means of rollers d d upon the slide bars D D which rollers engage cam-grooves d dfiformed in the outer faces of stationary cam-bars D D, which are mounted upon the frames of the gripping and cutting-ofi'devices in a manner hereinafter described. The said folding-bar, together with the carrying-blade and parts sustaining the same, are herein collectively denominated the cloth-carrier. Said carrying-blade D is moved vertically with reference to the folding-bar D, so that it may be lifted above said bar D and pass over the rear gripping devices at the limit of its rearward throw and will be depressed below the said bar D, and thereby carry a fold of the cloth into engagement with the front grip.- ping devices at the opposite limit of its forward throw, its action with relation to the bar D being similar to the movement of similar carrying-blades heretofore employed in folding-machines, and therefore requiringno more extended description.

Motion is communicated from the crankarm 0 to the folding devices by means of pitmen 0 G which are connected with outwardly-extending studs d affixed to the ends of the bar D. Said pitmen C C are provided with spring-sections C ,.coustructed and operating in the manner hereinafter described, in connection with the cutting-off device, of which they form a part. The crankarms 0 C", with which the pitmen are connected, are made adjustable radially to increase or decrease the th row of the said crankarms when a change in the extent of movement of the cloth-carrying device is made necessary in adjusting the machine for making bags of larger or smaller size. For this purpose said crank-arms are made separate from the shaft 0 and are held in disks G which are rigidly attached to the ends of said shaft. Said disks are provided with dovetailed grooves, and also with gibs 0 each of which forms aside wall of one of the grooves, and which are clamped against the crankarms by set'screws 0 Fig. 6, thereby holding the same firmly in position.

The front gripping devices, which are adapted for holding the cloth in folding the that they will turn together.

same and for retaining the out and folded pieces, are constructed as follows: EE, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 9, are vertical plates located adjacent to the side plates A of the frame and provided at their upper parts with outwardly-extending lugs-or projections e e, which engage the guides A A of said frame-plates. E is a horizontally-arranged transverse bar, which extends across the machine from side to side and is bolted at its ends to the said plates E E, Fig. 9. Said plates E E and bar E constitute a rigid frame which supports the several movable parts of the gripping device and is adapted to slide upon the frame by its engagement with the guides A A of said frame. F F are two screw-shafts mounted in bearings f f on the frame-plates and which extend parallel with and adjacent to the guides A A, said screw-shafts being. herein shown as arranged to engage screw-threadedaperfront and rear gripping devices, being for this purpose provided with screw-threads engaging f the frame of the rear gripping device, as will hereinafter appear. The front bearings f are large enough to allow the screw-shaft F to pass through them in assembling the machine, and "the portion of the shaft formingthe journal working in the bearings will be enlarged, so as to fit said bearings. v from endwise movement by means of collars The shafts are held F secured to said shaft, one close against leach side of the lug in which are the front bearings f. Said screw-shafts F F are extended to the rear end of the machine-frame, j where they are provided with sprocket-wheels f f, Fig. 5, over which passes a chain belt F,

by which the screw-shafts are connected, so Any suitable means may be employed forturning the shafts F-such, for instance, as a hand-crank, which may be applied to the end of one of said shafts,

as shown at f in Fig. 3. G is a yielding clamp-plate roughened on its upper surface and secured to the upper edge of a transverse bar G, whichis located inside of and adjacent to the transverse frame-bar E. Said clampplate Gand the bar G, supporting it, are adapted to slide vertically with reference to the frame-pieces E E and are held at the up ward limit of their movement by means of springs G G which are placed around rods g g between nuts 9 upon said rods and the horizontal parts of depending brackets E E cast upon thebar E. The vertical movements of this bar G are guided and controlled by the rearwardly-extending portions of bolts e, which extend horizontally from the cross-bar E and pass through-vertical slots in the bar G, as shown in Fig. 14. Said springs G tend to hold the clamp-bar G in a position slightly below the carrierblade D, which blade is adapted to pass over said clamp-plate clamp-plate G and the bar G, upon which IIO it is supported, are not actuated automatically, but may be depressed at will by means of a bracket or stirrup G both ends of which are secured to the bar G in any suitable manner, as by screws The only times when it willbe necessary to depress said bar and plate are when adjusting a roll or bolt of cloth in said machine preparatory to cutting it into cut and folded lengths and in removing from said machine the cut and folded lengths,

clamped therein. His an upper clamp-plate which acts, in connection with the clamp-plate G, to receive and hold the folds of cloth carried or inserted between said clamp-plates by the carrier-blade D Said plate H is arranged horizontally and extends over the bar E and is supported by means of a fiat vertically-arranged bar H, extending across the machine in front of the said bar E in the manner illustrated, Fig. 3. The upper clampplate H and the bar H are adapted to be moved vertically and are thrust downward, so as to bring the upper clamp-plate H against the lower clamp-plate G, by means of springs H H Said springs are placed around vertical rods h h, which are secured to the lower edge of the bar H and extend through lugs e 6 upon the bar E and are provided near their lower ends with nuts h,between which and the lugs e the springs H are placed. The clamp-plate H is held and guided at its upper end by meansof the forwardly-extending portions of the bolts 6 c, Fig. 2, inserted through the vertical slots in the bar H into the frame-bar E.

The clamp-plate H is lifted periodically during the operation of folding the cloth to allow the passage between said clamp-plate and the lower clamp-plate G of the carrying-blade D devices for giving this movement to the clampplate H being made as follows: B B are sleeves mounted upon the shaftsB B and havin g splines engaged with longitudinal grooves B in said shafts. Said sleeves are each provided with a groove 19 which is engaged by a rigid arm 6 upon the end plate E of the movable frame, whereby the sleeves are moved endwise with the frame when the latter is shifted upon the main frame of the machine by the screw shaft F before referred to. Upon the said sleeves B B are mounted cams B B Fig. 2, which act upon the vertical arms of bell-crank levers H H pivoted on brackets 7L3 71 cast integral with or bolted to the side plates E of the movable frame supporting the gripping device, the horizontal arms of which bell-crank levers are connected with the bar H by means of links 772, Fig. 2. The cams B B are so arranged and shaped that the upper clampplate H will be lifted as the carrying-blade D approaches the same and will be forced toward the lower clamp-plate under the action of the springs H H after the carrying-blade has reached the forward limit of its movement, so that said upper and lower clampplates will grasp the folded edge of the cloth the clamp-plates by said blade.

upon the blade and retain the folded edge between them when the said blade passes outwardly from between said clamp-plates. As far as above described the clamp-plates operate in a manner heretofore common and well understood. I is a horizontal bar located adjacent to the'upper clamp-plate, said bar I being arranged to support a series of horizontal inwardly extending clamp fingers 2' i t, which enter notches cut through the outer part of the'clamp-plate H, so that said clamp-fingers 2' 2' 2' may act upon the fold of cloth held between said upper and lower clamp-plates. Said bar I is attached at its ends to arms I 1, which are connected by pivots t" i to the side plates E of the movable frame supporting the gripping device, said pivots t" 7 being arranged approximately beneath the inner or free ends of clamp-fingers 'i 'i 2'. Rigidly attached to the lower ends of the arms I I are horizontal arms I 1 which extend rearvvardly and are provided with antifrictioirrollers 2' t which are adapted to engage cams B B upon the sleeves B B. Said rollers are held in engagement with the cams and the clamp-fingers are thrown downward toward the lower clam p-plate by means of spiral springs I 1 attached to the arms I I and to an adjacent part of or upon the movable frame, said springs in the particular construction shown being attached to arms e 6 secured to the lower ends of the brackets E E The movements of the parts are so timed by the relative arrangements of the cams B and B that the clamp-fingers 'it-i will press upon the folds of cloth located between the clamp-plates during the time the upper clamp-plate is lifted and the carryingblade is entering between and receding from said clamp-plates.

In folding devices as heretofore made, embracing upper and lower clamp-plates and a horizontally-reci procatin g carrying-blade, the folds of cloth previously inserted between the clamp-plates are likely to escape from the same when the said clam p-plates are separated to receive another fold, this being especially liable to occur when there is a considerable quantity of folded cloth in the machine. The clamping-fingers, operating in the manner described, however, serve to hold the previou slycompleted folds firmly in place while the clamp-plates are opened to take in another fold, said clamp-fingers being withdrawn from beneath each fold as it is completed and brought over or above the same before the upper clamp-plate is lifted for making the next fold. It follows that during the operation of the machine the several folds within the clamp-plates are constantly held either by the upper and. lower clamp-plates or by the lower clamp-plate and clamp-fingers and that the carrying-blade passes over the fingers and between the same and the upper clampplate when the new fold is brought between It will of course be understood that the clamp-fingers 1 the carrying-blade at the time the latter carries the new fold between the clamp-plates does not interfere with the operation of the upper and lower clamp-plates in grasping the cloth folded over said blade for the reason that the fingers are made quite thin and ample pressure is exerted upon said new fold by the parts of the cloth between the fingers properly to grip and hold the cloth of the new fold as the carrying-blade is withdrawn from such new fold.

In view of the advantages obtained by the employment of the clamp-fingers in connection with the upper and lower clamps and reciprocating carrying-blade the same are herein claimed as part of our invention, and inasmuch as such clamp-fingers may be moved and actuated at proper times by any one of a .great number of well-known devices our invention as it relates to this feature of the ma chine is not limited to the particular actuating devices illustrated, except as the same may be made the subject of specific claims herein.

The rear gripping device and cutting-off mechanism forming part of the machine shown are made as follows: Said parts are mounted upon a rigid frame movable on the main frame of the machine in the same manner as the frame of the front clamping device above described. Said frame consists of two vertical end plates J J, to which is rigidly attached a casting J, extending transversely across the machine. Said plates J J are provided with outwardly-extending lugs or projections j j, Fig. 4, which engage the guides A A of the frame-plates A A. Said lugs or projections jj are engaged by the screw-shafts F F above described. Said screw-shafts in their parts engaged by said lugs are provided with screw-threads inclined in the opposite direction from those engaged with the end plates E belonging to the front gripping device, so that when said screwshafts are turned both the front and rear gripping devices will be bodily moved to the same extent toward and from each other.

The cutting-off devices are constructed to sever the fold of the cloth carried toward the :same by the folding-bar D, while the rear gripping device is adapted to clamp and hold the cut edge belonging to the main part of the cloth, so that such edge will be properly retained in carrying the next fold to the front ranged in a plane somewhat above the clamping-plates of the front gripping devices.

The cutting-off devices are made as follows: .Upon the edge of the folding-bar D, over which the cloth is drawn, is placed a longitudinal knife-edge K, and upon the framepiece J is mounted a longitudinally-sliding bar K, carrying a series of rollers 7070 70, Figs. 3, 7, and 10, which rollers are adapted to press against the roll along the knife-edge, so as to sever the cloth extending over the said knifeedge between the same and the rollers. The knife-edge need not be, and is preferably not, sharpened, but is usually made by beveling the edge of the plate at an angle of forty-five degrees and dulling or slightly rounding the angle thus formed. The position of the parts when the bar D is advanced to bring the knife-edge against the rollers is shown in Fig. 10.

In order to insure an equal and uniform pressure of all the rollers against the knifeedge, said rollers are severally mounted in sliding blocks 70, which blocks are mounted in the bar K and are held or thrown outwardly by means of springs 70 k placed behind said blocks. In the particular construction shown the bar K is made of U shape in cross-section, with transverse guides 7c, Fig. 12, upon its upper and lower walls for the sliding blocks 70 7c, and the springs k 70 are of coiled form and placed around screws 70 7a, which are inserted through blocks and into the vertical part of the bar at the rear of the same, so as both to support the said springs and to limit the outward movement of the blocks under the action of said springs. lessen frictional resistance to the endwise movement of the bar K when the rollers are cutting, the inner edge of said bar is desirably arranged to rest against a series of antifriction-rollers k 70 70, mounted on a longitudinal bar 70 which rests on the frame-bar J in the manner illustrated, Figs. 3, 7, and 10. As the bar K slides longitudinally the bar 70 is caused to play or to move endwise slightly by reason of the frictional contact between bar K and the rollers 70, the frictional resistance to the movements of the bar K being thus reduced to a minimum. By the employment of a large number of rollers 7c, arranged close together,we are enabled properly to sever the cloth by a relatively slight movement of the bar K, it obviously being necessary to move said bar for a distance only slightly greater than the distance between two adjacent rollers 70 in order to sever the cloth throughout the entire width of the same.

Devices are provided for giving endwise movement to the said bar K as follows: The drive-shafts B B are provided adjacent to the rear gripping and cutting-off devices with sleeves B B splined to the shaft in the same manner as described in connection with the sleeves B B. Said sleevesare held constantly in proper position with relation to the gripping and cutting-off devices by means of rigid arms j j one of which j engages the rear end of the sleeve and the otherj a groove (1 in said sleeve. L, Figs. 3 and 4 is a horizontal bar extending across the machine-frame and having a free endwise movement, said bar being provided at its ends with antifriction-rollers Z Z, each of which is adapted to engage a cam B upon the adjacent sleeve B In the particular construction illustrated. the bar L is provided at its ends with longitudinal slots Z Z, which engage opposite sides of the sleeves B B so that the bar is in this instance supported and guided by engagement with said sleeves. The ends of said bar adjacent to the slots Z Z are, furthermore, vertically divided or forked, so as to extend at opposite sides of the cams B E the antifriction-rollers Z Zheing pivoted between the ends of the bar outside of the said cams in the manner illustrated. The bar K, carrying the cuttingrollers, is supported and slides upon a horizontal part of the frame-plate J, and said bar K is moved in one direction by a spring and in the other direction by suitable operative connections with the bar L, which latter is moved by the cams B 5 in the manner above described. M in the drawings is a spring for moving the said bar K, said spring being of spiral form and placed around a horizontal rod M, with one end bearing against a bracket m, attached to the bar J, Fig. l, and with its other end bearing against a nut m upon the said rod M. Said rod M is rigidly attached to the said bar K through the medium of a sliding block M to which said rod is secured at one end, said block being extended through a longitudinal slot -j in the horizontal part of the plate J and being bolted to the under surface of the said bar K, Fig. 10. At its free end the rod M is arranged to slide in the bracket'm.

Connections between the sliding bar K and the rod L are made as follows: L is a vertical lever arranged near the center of the machine and pivoted at its lower end to a depending bracket J which is attached to the frame-plate J. Said lever L is connected at or near its middle wit-h the barL by means of a connecting-rod L ,-pivoted at its ends to said lever and bar in the manner illustrated, Fig. a. At its upper end the lever L is pivoted to one end of a connecting-rod L the opposite end of which is connected by a pin Z with the plate M which, as before described, is connected with the roller-carrying bar K. The end of said connecting-rod L engaged by the pin Z is herein shown as forked and arranged to embrace a separate block Z through which the said pin passes, said block being bolted to the plate M in the manner illustrated, Figs. at and 10. With the arrangement of parts shown in the drawings one of the cams B theleft-hand one in Fig. 4=is so connected and adjusted that it will move the bar K endwise shortly before the folding-bar D reaches the cutting-off devices, said cam operating against the spring M. Said cam is provided with an abrupt part or shoulder adapted to allow the sudden or rapid endwise movement of the bar K and of the rollers carried thereon at the mo ment or shortly after the knife-edge K upon the folding-bar D is brought against the roller it. This construction afiords a means of quickly severing the cloth throughout the entire width of the web thereof, so that a pause or dwell of the knife-edge K of any considerable duration while in contact with the cutting-rollers is unnecessary. The only office of the cam B shown at the right side of said Fig. 4 of the drawings is to insure that the bar K shall be fully retracted in case the spring M should for any reason fail to fully retract said bar. The right and left hand cams do not operate simultaneously, but one after the other, the left-hand cam, as shown in Fig. 4. operating first to shift the bar K, as above stated, and the righthand cam operating after said left-hand cam has ceased to act in case the spring M has not sufficiently retracted the bar K. It is obvious that the right-hand cam is not essential to the successful operation of the machine and that it may be omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is not, therefore, desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown. In order,however,that the said barD may remain stationary during the brief periodwhile the cutting-rollers are acting, the main connecting-rods O 0 by which the said folding-bar is actuated, are provided with the yielding or spring sections 0 hereinbefore mentioned, such yielding or spring sections allowing the barD and parts connected therewith to come to rest a short time before the crank-arm C reaches the limit of its throw, so that during the time the cutting-rollers are acting on the knife-edge K said rollers are pressed against the cutter with a pressure due to the tension of the yielding section 0 and the backing springs of the rollers.

The yielding or spring connection in the connecting-rod C may be of any well-known or preferred construction. As herein illus trated, and more clearly shown in Fig. 13, such connection is made as follows: The said rod is made in two parts or sections 0 C, arranged end to end. Upon the part 0 near the end of the same, is placed a rigid crossbar 0 and at the extreme end of the said part 0 a second rigid cross-bar c. Athird crossbar 0 is placed upon the part 0 between the form, is placed between the fixed cross-bar c and the movable cross-bar c and the nuts 0 0 upon the bolts are arranged to bear upon the said movable cross-bar in opposition to "a I I 482,373

the action of the spring, so as to keep the latter compressed and to retain the ends of the parts C and C in contact with each other. When the tension on the rod C is greater than the spring can withstand, the said spring yields and allows the parts of the rod to separate, thereby elongating the rod. By turning the nuts 0 upon the bolts the tension of the spring may obviously be adjusted so that it will yield under a greater or less tension, as desired.

In the manufacture of bags made of burlaps and other similar material it is found 3 accomplished by hand at the time of sewing;

but the operation of so folding the edge is found to be a slow and tedious one and wasteful of material, inasmuch as the operator is likely to make the fold unnecessarily deep, thereby wasting material, while if the fold is too narrow the seams are weak and the bag not sufficiently strong. The machine illus trated is adapted to crease or fold the cut edges of the cloth at both sides of the cut made therein by the combined action of the cutting-rollers and knife-edge K, such creasing or seaming being accomplished at the same time the cut is made. For this purpose the cutting-rollers 7c are each provided at their ends with yielding plates ordisks 7!; k, which form with the adjacent edges of the roller, which are preferably slightly beveled or rounded, circumferential grooves adapted to receive two thin creasing-plates K K located upon the advance edge of the bar D above and below the knife K. Said plates K K are provided with thin or acute but unsharpened edges and are adapted to enter between the said disks 7a 7a, (which are constructed of spring metal or otherwise made yielding,) so that when the cloth which rests between the said rollers and creasing-plates is thrust by the plates K between said plates 70 and the ends of the rollers and said rollers are moved along the bar the cloth will be folded closely or tightly over the said narrow acute edges and will be thereby given a permanent crease.

It is obviously necessary after the cloth has been severed by the cutting devices described that that end of the cloth which is connected with the roll or bolt should beheld or gripped while a succeeding fold is being formed. Such edge will of course be the upper edge, or that adjacent to the top of the folding-bar D, the lower cut edge being arranged to dropfreely after the cutting has taken place.

Devices for gripping the said upper edge of the cloth are constructed as follows: N is a horizontal plateattached to the transverse plate J and extending forwardly from the rollers 7r, so as to overhang the bar D when the latter is in position adjacent to said rollers. Said plate N is herein shown as arranged to extend rearwardly over and cover the bar K and adjacent parts. Secured to the said bar N is a series of yielding prongs or spring-fingers n, whichextend downwardly and inwardly with their free ends adjacent to the cutting-rollers. Said fingers are adapted to press forcibly against the top of the bar D as the latter is advanced or carried beneath the overhanging part of the plateNin approaching the cutting-rollers. struction illustrated said plate N is provided with apertures 'n, and the fingers '11 extend through said apertures and are secured to the'upper surface of the plate adjacent to the front or overhanging margin of the same. The said spring-fingers, while allowing the cloth which is folded over the folding-bar D to pass freely beneath them in approaching the cutting-rollers, tend to hold said cloth from backward movement in the withdrawal of the said folding-bar, the fingers being pointed or roughened, so as to catch in the cloth while the latter is supported by the said bar. 0 is a vertically-movable clampplate supported upon the frame-plate J, and adapted to move up and down in front of the cutting-rollers. The upper edge of said clamp-plate is adapted to engage the under surfacs of the plate N at the rear of the fingers n, between said fingers and the cutting-rollers. Said clamp-plate is moved vertically such distance, furthermore, that in its In the particular conlowermost position it will allow the foldingbar D to pass freely over it in approaching the cutting-rollers. The vertical movement of the clamp-bar is so timed, moreover, that it approaches the plate N as soon as the said folding-bar D begins to recede from the rollers, and is thereby adapted to clamp the free edge of'the cloth (which is held from backward movement with the folding-bar) as soon as said folding-bar has moved away from the rollers sufficiently to allow the clamping-plate to come against the said plate N. It will of course beunderstood that the cloth is held by the fingers n from backward movement by being held or clamped between the ends of the fingers and the smooth horizontal upper surface of the folding-bar D, which surface is adapted to slide freely beneath the cloth while the latter is thus held by the fingers. The cloth would of course fall away from the fingers, and thereby free itself from the latter, as soon as the folding-bar had passed clear of the fingers; but the movement of the clamp-bar O is so timed that it eucounters and holds the edge of the cloth against the plate N before the fingers have passed from the rear edge of the folding-bar.

Devices are provided for actuating the clamp-bar O, as follows: 0 0, Figs. 3 and 11, are two vertical rods attached to the lower edge of said bar. Said rods slide at their lower ends in guide-apertures formed in the lower ends of depending brackets J cast upon the transverse frame-plate J. O O are coiled IIC B upon the sleeves B springs placed between the lower ends of said brackets J 3 and adj nstable nuts 0, placed upon the screw-threaded upper parts of the said rods 0. Said springs tend to lift the clamp 0 toward the plate N. Said clamp-plate O is held and guided at its upper part during its vertical movement by means of headed bolts 0', which pass through vertical slots 0 in the plate and are secured in the frame-plate J. O is a horizontal bar extending across the machine beneath the clamp-bar O and attached to the lower ends of the rods 0 by means of angle-pieces 0 Figs. 3, 4:, and 11. The ends of said bar 0 extend outwardly beneath the shafts B B and are provided with antifriction-rollers 0 0 which engage cams Said cams act upon the rollers to depress the bar 0 and thereby to draw downwardly the clamp plate 0 against the action of the springs 0 O Said cams are provided with abrupt parts or shoulders, furthermore, and are so constructed as 'to draw the clamp-plate O graduallydownward during the approach of the folding-bar D toward the cutting-rollers and to allow the nquiclg or prompt upward movement of the said clamp 'pl-ate as soon asthe said folderbar begins its movement away from the rollers, so as to grip the end or edge of the cloth before the same is released from the springfingers in the manner above described. The position of the said clamp-plate 0 when the folding-bar is engaged with the cutting-rollers is clearly shown in Fig. 10, while the elevated position of said clamp-bar is shown in Fig. 3.

It is obviously desirable that the lower edge of the cloth, or that beneath the folding-bar, should be promptly or quickly released from the lower creasing-plate andgrooves, in order to prevent the clamp-bar 0 from catching the same as said clamp-bar rises to grip the upper edge of the cloth. For effecting such release of thelower edge ofthe cloth we have provided an automatically-acting device, which is made as follows: P, Figs. 3, 10, and 11, is a horizontal rock-shaft located in front of the clampbar 0 and mounted at its ends in bracketspp, attached to the frame-plate J. Attached to said rock-shaft is a flat blade P, having a fluted, serrated, or otherwise roughened outer edge. Attached to the said shaft is a flexible strap P one end of which is secured to the lower part of the vertically-movable clampplate 0 and the other end of which is attached to a spring P the lower end of which spring is connected with an arm 19, secured to the lower part of the transverse frame-plate J. The strap P is placed around the shaft P and secured thereto at one point, so that when the end of said strap attached to the plate 0 is pulled or drawn downwardly in the downward movement of said plate the shaft will be turned, the spring P yielding to allow the strap to wrap itself about the shaft. The shaft is turned through a distance of about one-half of a rotation, andthe blade P thereon is so arranged that when the clamp-plate O is depressed the free edge of said blade will stand near the top or over the said clamp-plate O and adjacent to the under surface of the said folding-bar and in position to engage the cloth stretched over the said bar, this position of the parts of the blade being clearly shown in Fig. 10. WVhen the folding-bar is retired and the clamp O ascends, however, the said blade is thrown forwardly and downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, this movement being accomplished by the contraction of the spring P which pullsdownwardly upon the end of the strap attached thereto as the'said clamp-plate rises. This outward and downward movement of the blade P, which begins as soon as the backward motion of the folding-bar D commences, casts or throws the free edge of the cloth outwardly from the space above the clamp-bar 0, thereby preventing possibility of the cloth being caught by the said clamp-bar in the upward movement of the latter. Q is a curved supporting-plate for the cut-off and folded pieces of cloth, said plate being located between the clamping and cutting-off devices, with its upper end adjacent to the clampplate G. Said plate is herein shown as supported upon curved bars Q Q, which are bolted to the under surface of the said plate G and the plate G. Said plate Q is for the purpose of sustaining a part of the weight of a pile of cut pieces held at their folded edges between the clamp-plates G and H, it being obvious that in the absence of any such supporting-plate the weight of said pieces would come directly upon the said clamp-plates, thereby tending to depress the lower plate and to draw the folded pieces of cloth from between the same.

It is obvious that the cam-bars D D, by means of which vertical motion is given to the carrying-blade D must have sliding connection either with the frame of the front or of the rear clamping device in order to allow the said frames to be bodily moved toward and from each other upon the machine-frame in the manner above described. In the particular construction of the parts illustrated the said cam-bars D are pivoted at their lower or forward ends upon brackets E, which extend upwardly from the frame-plates E E of the front clamping devices. At their opposite or rear ends said cam-bars have sliding connection with the frame of the cutting-off device by means of longitudinal guide-ribs D D upon the inner faces of said cam-bars, which engage suitable guide-grooves in brackets J J, which are secured to the top plate N of the rear clamping device.

R is a frame or rack located over the top of the machine for guiding the cloth to the same, said rack being provided with guide-rollers r r, the latter of which is located centrally over the path of the carrying-blade. As heretofore made such racks have been stationary and the cloth has been drawn over the same solely by the action of the reciprocating foldtoo ers or folding-blades. It is found, however, in the use of a stationary rack that when the machine is run fast the cloth is fed in a series of jerks, being drawn rapidly over the guiderollers in the approach of the carrying-blades or reciprocating folders toward the front or rear clamp-jaws and slackened up when the said blades or folders are receding from the clamp-jaws. To avoid this result, we make the end of the rack which carries the roller 7" vertically movable by pivoting the opposite end of the rack upon arms R R of the frame and provide a connection between the overhanging free end of the rack and the moving parts of the machine, so arranged that the said free end of the rack R will be drawn downwardly toward the folding devices as the reciprocating parts of the folder approach the front and rear clamping devices. By this construction as the fold of the cloth is carried toward the clamping plates or jaws the cloth is supplied mainly by the downward movement of the free end of the rack, the cloth being fed or carried over the roller 0" in the upward movement of the said roller, which occurs when the reciprocating parts of the folder are moving backwardly from the clamp plates, so that the feeding of the cloth past or over the said roller 1" is practically continuous.

Any suitable means may be employed for moving the free end of the rack R at the proper time. In the particular construction illustrated said rack is supported by means of two rods R R which are pivoted to the end of the rack and to the sliding end plates D D of the reciprocating folding devices. Attached to said rods R are two depending bars R R which are bent inwardly to points inside the frame and support at their lower ends two transverse guide-rodsR R between which the cloth passes before reaching the carrying-blade D and folding-bar D. The rod R is herein shown as provided with adjustable guide-fingers 1 7*, which act to hold the cloth from lateral displacement. r r are guide-fingers applied to a cross-bar r of the rack for a similar purpose.

To provide for the lateral adjustment of the fingers r r on the rod R and cross-bar W, said fingers are attached to hubs which slide on said rod and bar and which are provided with set-screws for holding them at any desired place, as shown in the drawings.

The operation of the main parts of the machine is as follows: The cloth is led from the rack R downwardly between the folding-blade D and carrying-bar D and thence to the cloth gripping or clamping devices. After each cut and creasing is completed the cut-off end of the cloth is held between the clampplates N and O and the cloth-carrier is adjacent to said clamp-plates. In making the next fold the said cloth-carrier moves toward the clamp-plates G and H, and in so doing the carrying-blade is depressed by the action of the rollers d d( in the cam-grooves d d until the said blade is brought into the same horizontal plane with the said clamp-plates. As the carrying-blade approaches the clampplates the upper plate H rises, allowing the carrying-blade and the fold of cloth thereon to enter between the plates and to pass over the lower plate G and the fingers 11 1' i, which are then clamped down against the lower plate to hold in place the previously-made folds when the clamp-plates G and H are apart. After the carrying-blade has completed its stroke the upper clamp-plate descends and engages the fold of cloth extending over the carrying-blade, and the latter then begins its backward movement and sllps out from between the clamp-plates and the fold of cloth which it has carried between them. After the carrying-blade has left the clamp-plates Gand H the plateI is operated to withdraw the fingers i i i from between the cloth folds previously made and the new or uppermost cloth-fold and to bring said fingers down over the said uppermost fold. As the foldingbar moves away from the clamp-plates G and H the cloth is drawn from the rack R over the said folding-bar and is brought into contact with the rollers la k, the clamp-plate 0 being moved downward away from the plate N before the folding-bar reaches the same, so as to allow the said folding-bar to pass over said clampplate 0. As soon as the cloth is brought against the rollers the latter are moved endwise along the k nifeedge to sever the cloth, as hereinbefore described. After the cloth is severed and the folding-bar begins its backward movement the part or end of the cloth above the folding-bar is engaged and held from backward movement with the bar by means of the fingers'n n n, acting upon the flat top surface of the bar. Said fingers engage the cloth at some distance from its out edge, so that the latter remains over the clamp-plate 0 after the advance edge of the folding-bar has retired from over the said clamp-plate, and the latter then rises, so as to catch and clamp said cut-off edge. As each folded piece is out off its ends fall to and rest upon the curved plate Q, and when. a sutficient number of cut pieces have been clamped between the plates G and H the latter are opened and the bundle or pile of out pieces is removed.

Fig. 12 illustrates a construction in a cutting-roller which may be used in place of the roller 70 hereinbefore described when the machine is intended for working upon cloth of one thickness only. In this case the said rollers, instead of being provided with yielding plates at the ends beneath, which the creasing-plates enter, are provided with two narrow annular grooves 70 k", into which the said creasing-plates force the fold of the cloth, the grooves being of such width as to clamp the cloth tightly against or over the edges of the creasing-plates, and thus give to the cloth a permanent crease or fold. The advantage of the cutting-rollers having yielding disks is that the same rollers may be used for cloth of any thickness, so that no change is required in the machine for operating upon different kinds of cloth.

It will of course be seen that the disks It (shown in Fig. 10) form with the ends of the rollers annular grooves to receive the edges of the creasing-plates, so that the same general construction is, in fact, present in the rollers shown in Fig. 12 as is illustrated in the other figures of the drawings, the grooves in one case being automatically variable or adjustable by reason of the yielding of the disks and in the other case non-adjustable. The appended claim covering a grooved cutting-roller is therefore intended to include both of the forms of roller above referred to.

Some of the improvements herein illustrated and described are applicable to folding-machines which are without any devices for outting oif the folded cloth, and as far as these features are concerned, therefore, our invention is not limited to a machine embracing such cutting-off devices.

We are, as far as we are aware, the first to employ an automatic cutting-off device in a folding-machine, and such cutting-off device is therefore herein broadly claimed without restriction to the particular details of construction in the cutting-off devices themselves herein shown. The employment of a cuttingoff device acting in connection with a bar which carries the cloth in folding is, however, of great advantage and is also herein claimed as a specific improvement, as are other details of construction herein illustrated. I

We claim as our inventionl 1. A cloth folding and cutting machine co mprising a cloth-clamp for holding the folded edges of the cloth, cloth-cutting mechanism,

operating to sever the cloth transversely, and a reciprocating cloth-carrier operating to carry the folds of cloth alternately. to the clothclamp and cutting mechanism, substantially as described.

2. Aclothfoldingand cuttingmachine comprising clamping-plates for holding the folded edges of the cloth, a cloth-cutting mechanism a a reciprocating cloth-carrier consisting.

- a series of cutting-rollersactingupon theknifeedge to sever the cloth, and means for supporting and actuating said rollers, said folding-bar being constructed to carry the cloth to and into contact with the said rollers, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a reciprocating carrying-blade and two clamp-plates,one of which is movable toward and from the other and one of which is provided with notches or spaces, means for actuating the movable clamp-plate, a series of movable clam p-fingers acting upon the opposing clamp-plate through the said spaces or notches, and means for actuating said fingers, substantially as described.

5. A folding-machine comprisingtwo clampplates constructed to hold the folded edge of the cloth, a carrying-blade,a folding-bar provided with a knife-edge and two creasingplates, a series of bodily-movable grooved rollers acting in connection with said knifeedge, and means for supporting and actuating said rollers and creasing-plates to sever and crease the cloth, said folding-bar being constructed to carry the cloth to and into contact with the rollers, substantially as described.

6. The combination of two clam p-plates constructed to hold the folded edge of the cloth, a horizontally and vertically reciprocating carrying-bladefor carrying the cloth to the clampplates, a horizontally-reciprocating foldingbar provided with a knife-edge, a plurality of horizontally-movable rollers acting against said knife-edge, and means for sustaining and actuating said rollers, said folding-bar being constructed to carry the cloth to and into contactwith the rollers, substantially as described.

. cloth-carrier consisting of a carrying-blade operating to carry the cloth to and into the cloth-clamp and a folding-bar constructed to carry the cloth to the cutting-off mechanism, and separate frames severally supporting said cloth-clamp and cutting, mechanism, said frames having sliding connection with the machine-frame, substantially as described.

8. '1hecombination,with themachine-frame, of a cloth-clamp, a reciprocating carryingblade for carrying the cloth to the cloth-clamp, a reciprocating folding-bar provided with a knife-edge, a plurality of rollers acting upon said knife-edge, said folding-bar being structed to carry the cloth to and into contact with the rollers, a longitudinally-sliding bar sustaining and giving motion to the said rollwith the said rollers, a longitudinally-sliding bar sustaining said rollers, and means for actuating said bar, comprising a spring acting to throw said bar in one direction and a cam connected with said bar and acting to move the latter in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a cloth-clamp for holding the folded edges of the cloth, clothcutting mechanism operating to sever the cloth transversely, a reciprocating cloth-carrier consisting of a carrying-blade constructed to carry the cloth to the cloth-clamp and a folding-bar constructed to carry the cloth to the cutting mechanism, and a second clothclamp located adjacent to the cutting mechanism and constructed to grip the cut-off edge of the cloth above the folding-bar, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with a cloth-clamp, of a reciprocating carrying-blade for carrying the cloth to the clamping device, a reciprocating folding-bar, a cutting mechanism comprising a knife-edge on the bar and a series of rollers acting against the knife-edge, said folding-bar being constructed to carry the cloth to the rollers, means for supporting and actuating said rollers, a stationary clampplate located above the rollers, a verticallymovable clamp-plate located in front of the rollers and acting upon said stationary plate, and means for actuating said clamp-plate, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a cloth-clamp for holding the folded edges of the cloth, clothcutting mechanism operating to sever the cloth transversely, a reciprocating cloth-carrier consisting of a carrying-blade acting to carry the cloth to and into the cloth-clamp and a folding-bar having a flat top surface and operating to carry the cloth to the cutting mechanism, a stationary clamp-plate located above the cutting mechanism, a series of spring-fingers acting upon the top surface of the said bar, a vertically-movable clampplate located in front of the cutting 1nechan ism and acting against said clamp-plate, and means for act uatin g said movable clam p-plate, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a cloth-clamp, of a carrying-blade, afolding-bar having a knifeedge operating to carry the cloth to said clothclam p, a series of rollers acting against said knife-edge, said folding-barbeing constructed to carry the cloth to and against the said rollers, means for sustaining and actuating said rollers, a stationary clamp-plate located above the rollers and folding-bar, a vertically-movable clamp-plate located in front of the roll-" otally supported at one end and having its opposite or free end located over and movable toward and from the cloth-carrier and means for actuating said rack, substantially as described.

15. The combination of two clamp-plates constructed to hold the folded edgescofithe cloth, a carrying-blade, a folding-bar provided with a knife-edge and with two creasingplates, a series of bodily-movable rollers having grooves at their ends, which grooves are formed by yielding disks attached to the ends of the rollers, and means for sustaining and actuating said rollers, substantially as described.

16. The combination of cloth-clamps arranged at different elevations at opposite ends of the machine, a folding-bar moving in a horizontal plane and adapted to carry the cloth to one of said cloth-clamps, and a carryingblade constructed to carry the cloth to the other of said cloth-clamps, having both a horizontal and vertical movement, means for giving a horizontal reciprocatory movement to said folding-bar, and means for givinga combined horizontal and vertical reciprocatory motion to the said carrying-blade, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL T. LOOKWOOD. SAMUEL K. WHITE.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE PooLE, GEORGE W. HIGGINS, Jr. 

